Everyone loves a good New Year’s commitment. Some people love it so much that they incorporate this into every aspect of their day-to-day life. It’s not just about the commitment to the latest juice cleanse anymore. It’s about overall personal satisfaction, such as seeking an exciting opportunity or a desire for change. And so, the career cleanse has become the new juice cleanse.
So, how does one boost your job search in 2018? Here are our top seven tips on how to succeed.
1. Start With Social Media
If you’re serious about your job search, start off by cleaning up your social media accounts. After all, it’s been revealed that 37% of employers use social media to look at potential candidates.
Consider changing your privacy settings to private – even if you don’t say something inappropriate, a friend could comment on your post, and that could reflect poorly on you as a candidate. Then choose an appropriate photo – that photo of you playing beer bong (while hilarious) is not an appropriate choice!
Afterwards, give yourself a Google. You may easily find old comments or photos that you may want to delete. Finally, set up a professional LinkedIn account. LinkedIn is a great resource to network with potential employers and people within your chosen industry.
2. Know Your Goals
Focus on what your goals are for the year and adjust your resume appropriately. Make sure to have the appropriate keywords on your resume. Recruitment companies commonly use ATSs to screen resumes as a potential match based on specific words and the frequency of them in a resume. With the right keywords that reflect your goals, your resume could easily make it to the top of the pile.
3. Use a Trusted Job Site
Having a resume on a trusted job site is critical to your success. Upload your most recent resume, and set up job alert matches that will send potential job listings straight to your inbox.
4. Network More Effectively
Reaching out to potential employers is very important. Simply hammering through a list of people every day without putting effort into it isn’t going to get you the response you need.
Instead, reach out to one or two people a day but be more personable and customize your messaging. As a starting point, you might want to consider what you like about the company or the potential employer. It will get you a lot further and will leave a lasting impression by tailoring your approach.
5. Focus on Old Colleagues
Employers tend to give preference to referrals by current or past employees. December is the perfect time to reach out to your old colleagues and to see what they have been up to over the last year. After the door of communication is open, you have the opportunity to mention what your goals for the new year are.
Discretely mentioning your interest in a new position might give you a head start on that job posting that has not gone live yet!
6. Don’t Be Impulsive
Firing off an “I quit” exit might be a funny story to tell, but for any working professional it, can be permanently damaging. More importantly, it can prevent you from having a good job reference.
You don’t have to start a new job on January 2. It’s OK to take the time to come up with a solid plan before you hand in your resignation letter. Take the time to figure out your goals and career aims before you hand in your notice and you’ll find yourself in a stronger position to land a job you love.
7. Decide on a Timeline
Give yourself a reasonable deadline. If after three months you have not found the dream job placement online with your 2018 goals, take a break and try again later. A few weeks off might give you the change to refocus and see what you can do differently to find a job that matches your wants and needs.
Overall, take forward these tips to boost your job search in 2018. Remember it’s all about finding the right and exciting opportunity at suits you.
